First True Christmas
by r2roswell
Summary: Takes place during the carousel and before Emma finds out there's a warrant for Neal's arrest. Emma and Neal spend their first true Christmas together.
1. Partnership

**Ch 1. Partnership**

"So what's your story, Emma," Neal asked as he and Emma continued to stay on the carrousel swings.

"I wish I knew," Emma replied.

"How can you not know your own story?"

"Well let's see, I was abandoned on the side of a freeway and then spent most of my life in the foster system and running away from them. I've never really had a home. I know it sounds kind of lame."

"No it doesn't, not to me," Neal said with a smile.

Emma smiled back. Usually when she told people that she had no family they were either ready to run or simply wanted to get into her pants and make her forget her situation. Neal was neither of those, at least not yet.

"Did you ever try to find your parents," Neal asked.

"No I never saw the point. I figured if they wanted they would have found me by now."

It saddened him that Emma's life had turned out that way but not all lives were easy with fairytales and butterflies. He liked her he had since the start of the day when they first met after she stole his stolen car.

Emma smiled at Neal. She couldn't understand why a guy like him would have left his once happy home. Granted he said things had changed, that his father had changed but she still, had his life really screwed him up to the point where the only excitement in his life was running away from it? Neal was a complete mystery to her and she liked that about him. He was different than most guys she met but she couldn't figure out why.

"So I'm thinking, what do you say to a partnership?" Neal asked.

"A partnership, the two of us?"

"Why not, it could be fun. I'll even let you drive."

"I don't know, I just met you."

"Yeah like twelve hours ago. I swear I'm not a perv. I won't try to get in your pants or anything. It'll be strictly platonic."

"I've had partnerships before, they don't exactly go well."

"Well that's because you've never had me as a partner before. What do you say?"

Emma looked at Neal and thought about it for a moment. What was the harm? She'd used her superpower on him and could tell he wasn't lying to her. It'd be different to have someone around. She'd been alone in her small adventures for a while so it might be kind of fun.

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Yeah let's do it," said Emma.

"Okay we will," Neal said smiling back at her.


	2. Christmas Surprise

**Ch 2. Christmas Surprise**

Surprisingly the situation with Emma and Neal over the next few months became easy. In the time since they'd met they'd become a pretty good team. And in the coming weeks they even came to develop feelings for each other. It was more than a relationship of convenience and survival; it had come to mean something on a level that neither of them had really anticipated.

The holiday season was fast approaching. Christmas decorations were being placed in store front display cases, the Salvation Army were ringing their bells and Christmas music was being played everywhere.

Neal was never one for celebrating the holidays. Christmas was a religious tradition and he wasn't a Christian. He wasn't Jewish. He didn't believe in much, at least not in the organized way that most people of this world did. He was a believer in a force greater than himself but he never defined it. And currently he believed in Emma. She was different than most girls. On the outside she seemed just like anyone else despite the life she led but he'd also caught a glimpse of what was on the inside and it was special.

Emma hated the Christmas season. It was a reminder of what she didn't have. While parents dressed in warm clothing with their children by their side as they carried shopping bags filled with presents and Christmas decorations or skated at ice rinks together with cups of hot chocolate, she was lucky enough to get a hand-me-down coat or a donated toy from one of the charities that catered to foster homes and that was if she stayed around long enough.

"Do you trust me," Neal asked as he parked the bug in a secluded part of the woods.

"Are you really asking me that," Emma said with a smile.

She did trust him. She had trusted him. Emma had lost her virginity when she was fifteen but a week ago was the first time that it had ever truly meant anything to her. She and Neal had robbed a convenient store that day and later waited as a family left a hotel room.

It was there that she had essentially agreed to spend the rest of her life with him, having agreed to move to Tallahassee, Florida to make their new start. That was also the first time where they had been intimate with each other. They'd managed to keep housekeeping away after Neal had said, "We're busy," in between his panting. The family who had left hadn't gone to the front desk to check out which had made things easier. It was one of the best afternoons and nights of Emma's life.

Emma continued to smile at Neal. "Of course I trust you."

Neal smiled back. "Then come on, I've got a surprise for you."

The two got out of the car and began to walk for a short while. The snow was falling slightly and the snow on the ground glistened in the subtle ambience of moonlight.

"Neal, where are we going?"

"You'll see. It's just a few more yards beyond those trees."

* * *

><p>They walked in silence a little more and what stood before them truly surprised Emma. A small cabin was dressed in white Christmas lights and from the window was a simple green fir tree covered in colored lights.<p>

"Summer cabins," said Neal. "No one uses them in the winter since the snow gets too thick out here. I know you don't celebrate Christmas and neither do I but I figured since we were together it wouldn't be that bad."

Emma had no words. Her surprise turned into a wide smile and then she placed a light kiss on his cheek which Neal took as a seal of approval. He and Emma made their way to the cabin, Neal messing with the tumblers of the locks and then made their way inside.

"Is this where you were all day," Emma asked. "Why you didn't let me come with you," she said taking off her leather coat and placing it over a wooden chair.

"I didn't mean to make you worry."

"You're lucky I didn't leave. I still don't exactly have the best track record when it comes to trusting people."

"Why didn't you," Neal asked as he started a fire in the small fireplace and then went to the kitchen.

"Because of you, us," Emma said as she toyed her fingers on an ornament on the tree. "I've never allowed myself to have a relationship last too long since I'm usually the one who ends up making a run for it."

"Ah commitment issues, I get it."

"The gift of a screwed up childhood," Emma said with a laugh, "but with you I don't know, it's different."

"I'm glad," Neal said coming over and handing Emma a cup of hot chocolate.

Emma took a sip and looked up at him, "Cinnamon?" she asked with surprise.

Very few people ever could get it right. Usually they just gave her the chocolate and that was it but Neal had taken the time to add whipped cream and cinnamon on top.

Neal shrugged, "You don't seem like a simple chocolate kind of girl besides it's too boring that way and you're anything but boring."

Neal brought his cup to hers. "Merry Christmas, Emma," he said softly.

Emma clinked her cup to his, "Merry Christmas, Neal."

**~END~**


	3. Bonus-First True Christmas

Author's Note: 

So as I was writing the first two chapters, this scene kept playing in my head.

I couldn't decide if I should add it as chapter 3 or let the story end at chapter 2

so I considered the next best thing- include it as a special bonus chapter.

This part is dedicated to all of the SwanThief/SwanFire fans

who have remained true to Emma and Neal. And who still believe.

We got royally screwed on the show and I'm sure many of us

still have a soft spot for this couple who are

and should have been each other's true love.

It doesn't get more poetic than Neal being the reason for the curse

and Emma being the one to break the curse. I mean, seriously how romantic

can you get?!

We may never get them on screen but at least the fans

can keep them alive forever.

Merry Christmas SwanThief Shippers!

Warning, you are about to enter something hotter

than their Christmas cabin fire!

* * *

><p><span><strong>Bonus Chapter. First True Christmas<strong>

Emma smiled and took another sip. Neal laughed slightly.

"What?"

Neal ran his left index finger across a whipped cream mustache that had formed on her lips.

Emma laughed at it as well but instead of letting Neal wipe it on his jeans or licking his fingers she held his hand and leaned down, being the one to lick his sticky fingers instead.

They put their cups of hot chocolate on a nearby table.

With his right hand Neal cupped the left side of Emma's face. She looked up at him and him down at her, their gazes more intense than either of them had ever experienced. Emma tiptoed to reach him and Neal leaned down to reach her, the both of them drifting toward each other as if by some kind of force, their lips coming together in perfect harmony.

They had slept together before but this time was different. It was almost as if the magic of the night, the magic that was Christmas Eve was taking over which to Neal made no sense since magic was not supposed to exist in this world.

Still neither of them could deny the way they floated. Neal moved back a strand of Emma's hair after Emma had released the hand she was kissing. He made her way to the shoulder of her forest green plaid blouse, finding it cute that Emma seemed to have a thing for plaid shirts, lowered the shoulder and remained on touching her skin before he moved his hands to the buttons that ran in front.

Emma continued to let Neal undress her, taking his time, and then after a moment when she stood in front of him in nothing but her bra and panties Emma moved closer to Neal, ran her hands down his chest and stomach and stopped at the hem of his shirt where she then removed it over his head. He wasn't the most buff type of guy with eight pack abs that looked to come from a catalog but he did have the physique of a boxer and his muscles showed that even though he probably wasn't one. Emma let her hands linger on his chest as she worked her lips along his neck and upper arms.

She could feel that Neal was doing the same thing to her. In her short years of being with a man, none of them had been able to make her feel the way Neal did. Her body tingled, almost as if every pore was alive. It was a magical feeling and Emma didn't believe in magic, she didn't believe in anything but how else could one describe the fact that it felt as if he were reaching inside her soul and they hadn't even gotten to the part where he really made his way inside her?

Emma kept her right hand around Neal's neck and moved her left hand down into his pants. She could feel him, his body throbbing with each movement of her touch. She could feel his eyes on her and so Emma chose to look up at him. They were both satisfied. Emma brought her hand back up and began messing with the button and zipper on his jeans.

Soon they both stood in their underclothes. Neal was the first to remove his boxers and Emma liked what she saw, His lower body was all ready up and he pulled Emma in closer, his lower body danced around her legs and the lacy black material that separated them. Her panties were soaked through but Neal lingered, he ran his right hand over the top part of the lace and then placed his hand inside.

Emma allowed Neal to feel every part of her. Having his hand where it was, she could feel her body increase in wetness as he touched her and toyed with the pleasure spot. Neither of them being able to stand the wetness that was stalled by the lacy panties, Neal used his hands to bring them down her legs, some of the fluid dripping as he did so.

Neal came up to Emma, looked at her once more and took her back in his left hand, the two of them lowering themselves to the soft fake furry carpet in front of the Christmas tree.

Neal looked down at Emma from his position above. How had he gotten so lucky and not just tonight but in finding Emma in general? He'd had relationships before but none could compare to her.

Emma looked up at Neal and thought the same thing. Never in her life had she come to depend on anyone, had she loved anyone and though she and Neal hadn't officially said it to each other, she did love him and she could tell in his eyes that he loved her too.

The two smiled at each other. Neal leaned in closer, their bodies closer than any two could be. They kissed with a slow passion, the wetness continuing between their legs. Neal gently moved inside her. They had been forceful before but tonight wasn't that kind of night. He wanted to truly experience her to feel every inch.

And as he made his way inside the lights around them on the Christmas tree, and even the ones outside, flickered. This hadn't been the first time it happened. Their first time together the lights in the hotel had flickered as well and at the time those hadn't even been on.

"Did you think to check the bulbs," Emma teased.

"Old cabin," Neal said during his panting, "Faulty wiring."

Emma laughed. Sure it was. What was Christmas without a shortage or two?

No matter. The couple continued on well into the night. Sometimes the lights remained on and other times they flickered, usually it seemed when Neal had reached a sweet spot or when Emma had experienced orgasm but neither of them paid the lights that much mind as all they focused on was each other.

It was beyond a doubt the first true Christmas either of them had ever had.


	4. Bonus-Playlist

Author's Note:

These are the songs that I was

listening to as the story was being written.

**"First True Christmas" Playlist:**

_[Songs played during chapter 1. No set scenes]_

**1.** Silent Night by Angie Aparo

**2.** Calling All Angels by Jane Siberry

_[Songs played during chapter 2 and the bonus chapter]_

**3. "Song for a Winter's Night" by Sarah McLachlan**

-Neal asks Emma if she trusts him and then he tells her he as a surprise

**4. "O Holy Night" by 98 Degrees**

-Neal and Emma inside the cabin

**5. "All I Want is You This Christmas"- Nsync**

-Emma and Neal make love by the Christmas tree


End file.
